Don’t know the difference between freeze-dried and dehydrated food? That’s okay, we are here to help, and you are not alone. Many people aren’t aware of the differences and similarities between the two. It is important to be educated on this if you are going to be storing either in…

Putting up large buckets of wheat and rice and beans at home after collecting buckets, oxygen absorbers, and hitting bulk stores and feed stores is undoubtedly the least expensive way to increase food storage. For some, it’s not an option. It requires a fairly large outlay, although price per serving…

The controversy between heirloom and hybrid seeds came up recently and the preference for heirloom seeds has been stated on this forum as well. It comes up pretty much anytime prepper growers get together. It's almost a ubiquitous as "check out my BOB." I have a different take on it…

Food is a pretty popular subject in the world of survival. Surprisingly, food is really not at the top of your list of needs. Despite its relatively low rank on the list of needs, it is typically at the top of most want lists. Now, just because it isn’t physically…

With people dumping hundreds of dollars into equipment for their bug-out bags, from expensive knives to water filters and lightweight tents, it doesn't make sense that survival food is usually no more than an afterthought. In many cases—especially in the pre-assembled survival kits people buy—"food" is a chunk of calorie-dense,…

If you were to conduct a poll for the top 10 food staples people store, you will get varying answers. Why? There are many different ways that we can purchase, grow, and package our foods; dehydrated vs. freeze dried, purchased canned foods vs. home canned foods, packaged #10 cans vs.…

Purchasing food, and other supplies, is a key part of staying prepared. It is important to experiment with food storage before purchasing in bulk, to ensure that your family (or group) will be able to use the items you stock in quantity without any issues. Buying 72 cans of beans…

So, you have cases of #10 cans filled with dehydrated vegetables, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), dairy products, and 5 gallon buckets full of grains, beans, and sugar. But, have you ever prepared a meal with your food storage items? If you currently live the self-sufficiency lifestyle or already prepare foods…

If you are interested in dehydrating fruits and vegetables for long-term storage, please continue reading. If not, purchase prepared meals, freeze dried fruits and vegetables, and Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), at a much higher cost. By purchasing a dehydrator, you can save a ton of money. That is, if…

Here's a recipe to make a gallon of mead using ingredients you can buy at your local store and no special equipment. No hard-to-get artisan honey, no special mead yeast, no carboys or bottling equipment. The cost of everything will run you about $15 and you can have the mead…

In my article about considering mead brewing as a trade, I described a lot of benefits to being a brewer, but the biggest joy of all is the final, delicious product that you made with your own hands, and the enlisted help of some honey bees and friendly microorganisms. There…

Sometimes, it could make more sense to purchase prepared meals or dehydrated and freeze dried foods. By purchasing these food storage products, you can quickly build your food reserves. The following article will discuss some of the benefits, cons, and things I have learned along the way.

If you are planning to store foods for long term storage, your food storage items should be located in a cool-dry-dark area, and free of oxygen. Cool temperatures extend the life of your stored foods drastically. Dry, or moisture free areas, keep your food from spoiling. Lastly, dark and oxygen…

Growing up, I was lucky enough to gain invaluable experience working on a small farm near my house. My employer, Frank, was a 75 year old farmer that had broken his hip a few years before. He had farmed his land for decades, but because of his age and disability,…

This year I've been going to my local farmer's market each weekend to supplement my food storage. I always bring $50 in cash and an empty trunk. It is amazing how much produce I am able to purchase. Keep in mind that it will not always look like the grocery…